It’s Friday, and time for our weekly B.C. Friday Five…

1. The Vancouver Sun editorial board is bang-on when it comes to liquor distribution and stores—there’s just no need for taxpayers to be in that business: “Governments should only be in businesses in which there is a unique public benefit that cannot be achieved in any other way. With rare exceptions, the government should avoid using its extraordinary powers to compete with the private sector. Liquor stores do not meet that test.”

2. The City of Vancouver spent $3 million on their new website. Ouch.

3. This should be a lesson to those who suggest tax breaks for certain industries (looking at you, video gamers)—magazines, more dependent than ever before on federal grants, are desperate to get tax dollars: “The trade association that represents Canadian publishers has been quietly lobbying federal officials in an attempt to win funding to develop multimedia-rich digital editions that go beyond the capabilities of print.” I subscribe to three magazines digitally, and it’s great. But there is no way tax money should be used to prop up these publishers.

4. They fell short, but kudos to the New Westminster folks who collected more than 2,000 signatures opposing the massive City borrowing bylaw. Your efforts are vital in keeping our elected officials accountable.

5. Kamloops city council is in total denial: “An internal audit of the organizational practices that found Kamloops has more managers and staff than other B.C. communities of its size hasn’t led to a reduction in city workers.” What makes Kamloops so unique that they need to be so staff-heavy? And how will taxpayers afford such huge salaries?